Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres

The men's 800 metres was middle-distance running event on the athletics programme at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was held on July 14 and July 16, 1900. The races were held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. 18 athletes from seven nations competed.

Men's 800 metres
at the Games of the II Olympiad
VenueBois de Boulogne
DatesJuly 14 (semifinals)
July 16 (final)
Competitors18 from 7 nations
Medalists
Alfred Tysoe
 Great Britain
John Cregan
 United States
David Hall
 United States

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1900 Summer Olympics.

World Record 1:53.4(*) Charles Kilpatrick New York (USA) September 21, 1895
Olympic Record 2:10.0 Edwin Flack Athens (GRE) April 6, 1896 (NS)

(*) unofficial 880 yards (= 804.68 m)

In the first heat of the first round David Hall set a new Olympic record with 1:59.0.

Competition format

There were two rounds: heats and a final. The top 2 runners in each heat advanced to the final.

Results

First round

In the first round, there were three heats. The top two runners in each advanced to the final.

Heat 1

Hall's Olympic record time surprised most of those present, as Tysoe had been the favorite in the heat.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1David Hall United States1:59.0Q, OR
2Alfred Tysoe Great Britain(1:59.4)Q
3Howard Hayes United States(2:00.2)
4Maurice Salomez FranceUnknown
5Christian Christensen DenmarkUnknown
6–7Walter Drumheller United StatesUnknown
6–7Alexander Grant United StatesUnknown

Heat 2

Deloge finished three yards in front of Spiedl, with the other runners trailing.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1Henri Deloge France2:00.6Q
2Zoltán Speidl Hungary(2:01.1)Q
3Justus Scrafford United States(2:01.8)
4–6Emilio Banfi ItalyUnknown
4–6Edward Bushnell United StatesUnknown
4–6Harrison Smith United StatesUnknown

Heat 3

Cregan won the slowest of the three heats by six yards.

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1John Cregan United States2:03.0Q
2John Bray United States(2:03.9)Q
3Harvey Lord United States(2:04.5)
4–5Edward Mechling United StatesUnknown
4–5Ondřej Pukl BohemiaUnknown

Final

Alfred Tysoe crossing the line to win the final.

Deloge led early, but was passed just before the final straight by Tysoe and Cregan. Hall, who had set an Olympic record in the heats, was just barely able to catch Deloge to finish third, but had no chance of passing the two leaders.

RankAthleteNationTime
Alfred Tysoe Great Britain2:01.2
John Cregan United States2:03.0
David Hall United States(2:03.8)
4Henri Deloge FranceUnknown
5Zoltán Speidl HungaryUnknown
6John Bray United StatesUnknown

Sources

  • International Olympic Committee.
  • De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 March 2006. Available electronically at .
  • Mallon, Bill (1998). The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0-7864-0378-0.
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